The voice of the security rang sharply and intermittently over the Mall’s public address system.

‘There’s a missing child with us, he is four years old, he is dressed in brown slacks and a blue shirt, please contact the security to identify him,’ the speaker kept announcing.

This went on for hours, but no one came.

Little Ashif was tired, tearful, hungry and hoped Mama would come and get him soon; he promised to be a good boy, if only she would come.

As days passed no one came and the little boy wondered why she never came back, after all, he had been a good boy when she said he should stand and wait; he became the ward of the State.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

P.S. This story came to me based on an experience at the Mall. A child went missing and the loud speakers went on for hours announcing and describing that child.

I was there for three hours or thereabouts and I left with a heavy mind. I wondered if the parents of that boy picked him up or not. I couldn’t help wondering how they misplaced him in such a huge mall in the first place.

*As a security caution, once we arrive any of the Malls here or anywhere, I look for the information desk and get a name tag band which my children wear on their wrists with my number and their dad’s own written on it, where that is not available, I write on a piece of paper and tuck it into their pockets, just in case there is a pandemonium or anything of the sort.

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